ANKARA, August 3, 2008 (AFP) - A major fire in woodlands on Turkey's Mediterranean coast was partially brought under control Sunday as more than one thousand firefighters battled the blaze for a fourth day, officials said.

'The fire is continuing while being generally brought under control,' Alaaddin Yuksel, the governor of Antalya province, was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency.

Antalya, Turkey's main tourist destination, is home to prominent historical sites and many luxury resorts that attract about seven million foreigners each year.

The fire, which broke Thursday and grew out of control the following day, has claimed the life of a villager and left dozens homeless.

The blaze, which ravaged about 4,000 hectares (10,000 acres) of woodlands between the towns of Serik and Manavgat, broke out most probably after winds reaching up to 70 kilometres per hour (43 miles per hour) tore down power lines, officials said.

It destroyed part of the village of Karatas, burning down about 60 houses, and the remains of a villager were recovered in one of them Saturday.

A second man remains unaccounted for.

Devastated villagers complained of a slow government response, saying they were left alone as the flames engulfed their homes, barns, greenhouses and fields.

Strong winds continued to hamper the efforts of about 1,300 firefighters Sunday, officials said.

Two villages -- Cardak and Karabucak -- were evacuated as a precaution against the advancing flames, the environment ministry said.

A new fire broke out Sunday near Manavgat, which is home to several large resorts, it said, adding that firefighting helicopters and airplanes were helping the efforts there.

There were no reports of danger to holiday villages.

Forest fires are common in Turkey as well as other Mediterranean countries during hot and arid summer months, sparked mostly by negligent residents.

The Turkish authorities usually also consider the possibility of sabotage.

In 2006, a radical Kurdish separatist group claimed responsibility for a series of fires in southern and western Turkey.